CA: BART Board Committed to Reaching Contract Agreement by Sunday

BART board President Tom Radulovich issued the following statement on labor negotiations on Aug. 8:

“The BART Board of Directors met today in a closed session to discuss the status of labor negotiations. BART's Board is committed to working continuously today, tomorrow, and through the weekend to reach an agreement with our unions by Sunday. If it happens before then, even better.

It is this board’s hope that the governor will not need to make a decision regarding a 60-day cooling off period. Despite the large gap between proposals, we are dedicated to a settlement by Sunday. We gave the general manager the authority and flexibility to reach a fair deal, as long as the unions are ready to move towards a reasonable settlement. We stand ready to compromise with them on contract terms on which all parties can agree.

The Bay Area has been put through enough. Let’s give the bargaining teams the space needed to close this deal so BART can move forward and continue to do what it does best: run trains.”